Thera 3.5: Matanga's Son
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(174):Matanga's Son Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter III. three Verses =174. Mātanga's Son= Reborn in this Buddha-age in Kosala as the son of Mātanga a landowner, he came to be called after his father. He grew up idle in habits, and when his people rebuked him, he made acquaintance with the bhikkhus(monks), noting how happily the Sākiya-son monks lived. But when he heard the Lord(Buddha) teach the Path(Dhamma), he believed and took monk’s orders. Seeing the power of iddhi wielded by bhikkhus(monks), he aspired to the same. And practising exercises, he won sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge). Upon that he scourged slothfulness, expressing his own rush of energy in these verses: ---- 231 Atisītaɱ atiuṇhaɱ atisāyamidaɱ ahu,|| Iti vissaṭṭhakammante khaṇā accenti māṇave.|| || 232 Yo ca sītañ ca uṇhañca tiṇā bhiyyo na maññati,|| Karaɱ purisakiccāni so sukha na vihāyati.|| || 233 Dabbaɱ kusaɱ poṭakilaɱ usīraɱ muñjababbajaɱ|| Urasā panudissāmi vivekamanubrūhayanti.|| || ---- 231 Too cold! too hot! too late! such is the cry. And so, past men who shake off work waits Their hand, the fateful moments fly.1 232 But he who understands cold and heat as less Than straws, doing his duties as a man, He no defaulter proves to happiness. 163 233 Dabba- and kusa-grass and pricking stems, And all that hurts in brush and underwood. Forth from my breast I'll push and thrust away, And go where I the growth may cultivate Of heart's detachment, lone and separate.2 ---- 1 'Fateful' is interpolated to give weight to the urgency with which, in the earnest bhikkhu's life, conjuncture of opportunity is associated with this present life, especially in a 'Buddha-age.' So the Commentary here, and cf. Sisters, p. 12, n. 4. These two verses occur in Dīgha iii., 'Sigalovada Suttanta,' but 'moments' is superseded by atthā, 'advantages' or 'good' - a rare use of the plural form. 2 = XXVII.; cf. XXIII. The energy defies in the one case physical delicacy, in the other effeminacy. ---- =3.5 174 Commentary on the stanza of Mātaṅgaputtatthera= The stanza starting with atisitaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Mātaṅga. What is the origin? It is said that he was reborn as a king of dragons of mighty power in a massive mansion of dragons under a great natural lake near Himavanta, at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara; having come out of his dragon-mansion, one day, he was wandering about when he happened to see the Master going through the sky, became pious-minded and made reverential offering to Him with his head gem. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human-beings, and was reborn as the son of an estate owner, named Mātaṅga, in the kingdom of Kosala, and came to be known as Mātaṅgaputta, even. On having attained the age of inteligence, he was not doing any work since he was congenitally lazy; being blamed by relatives as well as other people, he said to himself: “Leaders of happy easy life, these monks, sons of the Sākiyana,” and being desirious of leading an easy life, he made himself familiar with the monks, approached the Master, listened to the teaching of truth (dhamma), gained pious faith, noticed other monks as being possessed of magical powers, aspired for the vigour of magic, collected his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) from the presence of the Master, engaged himself in developing meditatioin (bhāvanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of superknowledge. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna.- “The Conqueror named Padumuttara, profoundly proficient in all truths (dhamma), the self-awakened Buddha, being desirous of suclusion, went straight through the sky. There was a massive natural lake not far from Himavanta; there my mansion was, well associated with acts of merit. Having specially come out of my mansion, I caught sight of the leader of the world, shining like a blue water-lily and blazing like sacrificial fire (hutāsanaṃ). Investigating (vicinaṃ) and not seeing (addasaṃ) any flower, they will honour the Leader; having made my mind piously pleased, I paid my homage to the Master. Catching hold of the gem on my head, I offered it reverentially to the Leader of the world saying: “By means of the reverential offering of my gem, may there be good result!” Padumuttara, the world-wise, the worthy recipient of sacrificial offering, the Master, stood in the sky and spoke this stanza. Let that intention of yours get accomplished; may you gain bountiful bliss! By means of your reverential offering of this gem, you should enjoy fame fully. Having said this, the Blessed One named the Most Excellent Lotus, Buddha, the best, went away to the place where His mind had resolved to go. For sixty aeons (kappa), I was divine sovereign and I exercised divine sovereignty; for many a hundred times I was a world king. When I kept remembering my former deed, while I had become a divine being, there sprang up my gen the maker of light to me. Eighty six thousand ladies, variegatedly dressed and decorated, adorned with emerald ear-rings attended up on me. Ladies with thick eye-lashes (aḷāra- pamhā), with smilling speech (hasulā), with good perception (susaññā) and with tender waist (tanumajjhimā) surrounded me always; this the fruitful result of my reverential offering of emerald gem. As and when I desired trinkets for my embellishment, there were my jewellery (bhaṇḍā) well executed, made of gold, made of emerald and likewise made of ruby. Delightful pinnacled-houses, highly worthy beds sprang up as and when I wanted, knowing my intention. Gains are well-gained for them, who gain attention (upassuti); they constitute a fertile field for human-beings, and medicine for all living beings, My deed also had been well done in that I met the Leader; I escaped purgatory and I have attained the unshaken path. Wherever I might have sprung up, whether in divine state or human condition, there was light for me always by day as well as by night. By means of that very reverential offering of my emerald, I had enjoyed prosperity (sampadā); the light of knowledge had been seen by me; I have attained the unshaken path It was a hundred thousand aeons (kappa) ago, that I specially offered remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my reverential offering of emerald. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, However, become an Arahant, with six sorts of higher knowledge, he spoke three stanzas announcing his own making of exertion reproaching laziness by way of individual determination (puggaladhiṭṭhāna). 231. “It is extermely cold; it is very hot; this has gone late in the evening; thus, the youths let moments pass dismissing their occupations (kammantā). 232. “He who does not think of cold and heat more than grass, does not get dismissed (vihāyati) from happiness, doing his duties of a man. 233. “I shall uproot dabba grass, kusa grass, poṭakila grass, fragrant usira root, the muñja grass and the bulrush (pabbaja) with my bosom breast, devoting myself to detachment. There, atisītaṃ means: extremely cold with dropping dew and pouring down of rain shower (vakala) ; idaṃahu means; this is; the connection is after having brought this expression, Atiuṇhaṃ means; extremely hot with heat and all round burning and so on; he spoke about the basis of laziness, by way of both kinds of weather also. Atisāyaṃ means: extremely late in the evening, when the day has all-round bent down (pariṇati) ; here, with the taking of evening even, morning (pāto) also is being taken together (saṅgayhati); he said about the basis of laziness by way of both those occasions. Iti means; in this manner. By means of this, he takes together (saṅgaṇhāti) the basic of laziness which has been said thus: “Idha bhikkhabe bhikkhunā kammaṃ kattabbaṃ hoti (O monks! Here work ought to be done by a monk).” Visaṭṭhakammante means: all round giving up of devotion to occupation. Khaṇa means: the opportunity for leading a holy life (brahmacariyavāsa) and the appearance of Buddha, etc. Accenti means: they go past. Māṇave means: living being. Tiṇa bhiyyo na maññati means: he does himself what ought to be done. Karaṃ means: doing (karonto). Purisakiccāni means: the welfare of himself and the welfare of others which ought to be done by a brave man. Sukhā means: from happiness from the bliss of nibbāna; thus, is the significance. The meaning of the third stanza has but been said before (heṭṭhā) The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Mātaṅgaputta is complete. ----